Employee engagement refers to the degree of dedication and connection that an employee has with a company. It is the process of creating cohesive and productive work environments that rely on a shared sense of purpose, trust, and mutual respect.
One of the critical aspects of B2B organisations is building healthy relationships with its customers. For B2B businesses to sustain, companies must invest in client nurturing and prioritising customer experience. Therefore, employees in B2B businesses must have a human approach while interacting with their prospects and building meaningful connections. And this is only possible when your employees have the zeal and enthusiasm to take the lead and provide a great experience to their customers.
You cannot achieve that if your employees are not engaged and motivated enough to act. Companies must build a culture where their internal core values must align with their business offerings. If you do not appreciate your employees or do enough to keep them happy and engaged, it will reflect on your business.
Why employee engagement drives organisational growth?
Company culture is built by the shared values of the employees and company. No company can build a positive company culture without prioritising the needs of the employees. Employees with low morale or job dissatisfaction are a roadblock in creating a healthy company culture. Engaged and happy employees participate in active communication, respect their peers, support and promote team collaboration and thus strengthens the company culture.
Today, you don’t need a stat to prove why employees leave. The bottom line is always the experience an employee has in a company. We, as people, inherently look for a place where we are more valued, respected, and recognised. Also, an environment that provides us with a safety net both emotionally and physically. Providing employees with the support they need or boosting their morale by recognising their work is a great way to improve job satisfaction. It is the strategic answer in enhancing employee retention.
Workplace happiness is found to not only correlate with happiness and satisfaction at work, but also with productivity. B2B companies dedicated to creating a work culture where employees are given the freedom to demonstrate their leadership will boost productivity and drive their business forward.
Bureaucratic leadership or micromanaging employees is a management technique of the past. It does not do anything other than create a blockage in employee creativity and growth. Engaging employees in a way that gives them autonomy and decision-making abilities is a great way to boost employee productivity.
How can B2B organisations Improve employee engagement?
Organisations in the B2B sector strive to achieve a high level of employee engagement, but it is not always easy to find what works well and what doesn’t. B2B organisations can benefit from in-depth research and gathering insights from the industry experts that can be applied to improve employee engagement.
According to Harvard Business Review research, engaged employees perform better. They are the driving force behind a business’s success. For organisations to thrive, leaders, therefore, need to focus on maximising employee engagement techniques. Here is what you can do:
Companies must practise the culture of continuous feedback to understand their employees’ expectations and take the necessary steps to provide them with the best employee experience.
To make that happen, build a culture of open communication where members can communicate and put forward their concerns freely. Practice a culture of feedback and also encourage them to bring ideas that can improve the company culture. Promote organisational transparency and build a common integrated communication channel for all employees. Continuous feedback is the key.
If you want to increase engagement among your employees, you might want to focus on their well-being. Employee well-being is a wide-ranging and increasingly important issue for modern businesses. It can lead to improved performance at an individual level, but companies that understand the need to take care of their people, ensure they’re happy and healthy, and give them a better work-life balance have better retention rates and more satisfied employees. In the pandemic scenario we’re in, digital wellness programmes are a great way to motivate remote employees to develop healthy habits.
Recognition and appreciation appeal to a fundamental human need. As Stephen R. Covey puts it: “Next to physical survival, the greatest need of a human being is psychological survival, to be understood, to be affirmed, to be validated, and to be appreciated.”
Reward and recognise your employees for achieving better outcomes. What isn’t better than that? It’s hard not to agree that a well-deserved pat on the back can’t fail to make an impact. Highlighting employees on the right track is important for morale, and recognising employees for their achievements plays a great role here.
For more detailed insights, read ‘The Ultimate Guide To Employee Rewards and Recognition.’
Final note
Employee engagement is critical for businesses to thrive. Companies need to adapt to change and take the right employee engagement strategies to give the workforce the best employee experience. As Richard Branson rightly said: “Take care of your employees, and they will take care of your business.”
